Get set for a major drone invasion in your neighborhood, and soon! As we've learned (WSJ, June4-5, Communities Should Have a Say in Whether They Want Drones, p. A15 the drone industry and the Federal Aviation Administration are pushing to increase greatly the number of drones flying in and above U.S. communities. The $64 question is: Do Americans want them? Well, I sure as hell don't and neither does Janice or any of our neighbors.
But we already saw the creeping of lax air control regulations earlier, as the drone moguls can only see exploding profits in their heads and not the social costs. Eight years ago, for reference, I posted on the push of drone manufacturers to permit their creations to flood the skies and warned of the risk to commercial aircraft, e.g.
Noting therein:
"The existence of the relevant bill was first reported on Feb. 4, 2012 in The Wall Street Journal ('U.S. Skies Could See More Drones', p. A7)and it came as a shocker of sorts. First, because it disclosed yet another federal agency (FAA) held hostage to the corporatist-industrial complex, now attempting to find new avenues for drone production since the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan are ending (well the first has officially ended, the second nearly may not until 2024). And second, because it discloses how secretive this corporate-benefiting information is.
Medea Benjamin made reference to the spectacle of congressional corporate compliance and being bought out by the drone makers, as she said:
But now we learn the FAA is
moving toward allowing flights “beyond the visual line of sight” of the
operator, which would open up the skies to drones for everything from package
or food delivery to police patrols.
While this latest WSJ piece notes "many Americans haven’t thought about the issue", consider this scenario:
"You’re
sitting outside on a beautiful day in your backyard, in a park, or on a
neighbor’s porch. Now imagine drones buzzing by or hovering overhead, taking
pictures. They may not all have cameras aimed at you, but you have no way of
knowing. Nor will you necessarily know who is flying the drone or why.
An entire ecosystem of companies is emerging based on the assumption that communities will welcome such flights. "
But not if they openly intrude over your private airspace given the power of aerial surveillance— and that it can be used to spy on law-abiding citizenry. Can you shoot them down? No, as I covered it in an earlier post that violates sundry local and state laws, so you can't just open fire on a drone near your porch with your trusty .22 (or, for NRA devotees, AR-15)
The FAA recently convened an advisory committee to give recommendations on what rules should govern this world, but it's interesting the agency still isn't demanding a qualified pilot's certification. Or - to my knowledge- restricting flights over residential property.
The FAA doesn't appear cognizant of the fact many Americans are uncomfortable with drones especially buzzing over and around their homes. Because of that we've had incidents of homeowners, firefighters and sports crowds illegally shooting drones out of the sky. Yet the past decade, despite hundreds of state legislative proposals to regulate the technology little has been done other than spouting empty rhetoric.
In December 2019, the FAA solicited feedback from the public on proposed rules for how a drone in flight should remotely provide its identification, location and other data. The agency reported that many concerned drone operators “provided examples of confrontations, threats (including threats with firearms), and assaults that they or others have received during operations.” It’s unclear to what extent such reactions stem from privacy concerns. But what happens if a community, whether out of concerns over intrusion, noise, safety or problems yet unforeseen, decides say:
Uniform federal rules designed for the jet age may threaten the
privacy of your neighborhood.
And that includes drones buzzing overhead. Should local jurisdictions have a say? Absolutely! But the way things are going, it might not matter.
True, in the early history of aviation most Americans recognized that uniform rules were needed for air traffic that crossed many jurisdictions. But small, noisy low-altitude drones flying locally in and around one's home is a whole new ballgame. As with other modes of transportation, such as the bicycle, the automobile and the electric scooter, widespread drone operations will have complex social, political and economic effects. Inevitably, conflicts will have to be resolved, and costs and benefits balanced.
The FAA has declined to engage in the privacy issues raised by drones, even when directed in 2014 to do so by Congress. The agency likely believes that under pressure from the drone makers congress will cave anyway and whatever hollow laws get passed will leave out the thorny aspects of drone invasions of private property and privacy rights.
For now, when Americans feel there’s already too much traffic near their homes, they can call up members of their city council and complain. But that seldom gets anywhere. It's easier to shoot the damned things down and hope no one is monitoring the lawless action. Absent such extreme response, will Americans be reduced to making complaints about drone flights directly to the federal government? That seems like a recipe for political disaster—for elected officials, for the FAA, and for those who wish to see drones succeed and improve people’s lives.
Bottom line: If the FAA is at all attentive: Drones shouldn’t be imposed on unwilling communities - or commercial airspace- in the disruptive way that has marked drone history thus far. Instead, Federal policy makers should allow local communities to ban or restrict drone flights in their jurisdictions. No questions asked. All U.S. communities should have the power to decide the extent of incursion after weighing drones’ benefits, such as convenience, against their downsides, such as noise and privacy invasion.
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